Electrical apparatus



Jan. 25, 1,938. L.-W. GUIN- ELECTRICAL APPARATUS Filed Oct. 1'7, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. LESTER W Gu/N TTORNEYS.

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

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Jan. 25, 1938.- L. w. GUIN ELECTRICAL APPARATUS Filed Oct. 17, 1955 Jan. 25, 1938. L. w. GUIN ELECTRICAL APPARATUS Filed Oct. 11, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 MSHI QQ 'INVENTOR. LESTER N'Gul/v mCQn/ y ibovfi ATTORNEYS.

Jan. 25, 1938. 1.. w. GUIN ELECTRICAL APPARATUS Filed Oct. 17, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 QQh v INVENTOR. LEJTEFP/VGu/N ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 25, 1938 PATENT OFFICE I ELECTRICAL APPARATUS Lester W; Guin, Mishawaka, Ind., assignor to South Bend Current Controller Company, South Bend, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application October '17, 1935, Serial no. 45,415

I 17 Claim. This invention relates to the control'of electric circuits such as those used for street lighting, for example circuits of sodium vapor or other electric lamps arranged in series and supplied with a substantially constant current by a constant current transformer or the like.

One feature of the invention relates to the control of the circuit in sections, by.means of one or several auxiliary circuits short-circuiting the various sections and automatically controlled by the novel apparatus of my invention.

Where the circuit energizes sodium vapor lamps, or other devices which require much more power to start than they do to operate after they are once started, I take advantage of the sectiona1iz-' ing of the circuit to start a part only of the lamps at once, allowing a time delay before the shortcircuit is opened automatically and an additional section of the circuit is energized. This permits the use of a transformer having a rating only slightly higher than that required to start the lamps in one section of the circuit, or one-half (or less) of the size that would be required to start all of the lamps at once.

In the illustrated embodiment, there is a timedelay switch which allows the current to pass through the first section of the circuit long enough to start the lamps therein, whereupon it breaks the short circuit automatically, and energizes means such as a magnetic device which disconnects the time-delay switch and allows the current to flow through the next section. As the time-delay switch I prefer to use bimetallic contacts or other means operated thermally by the passage of current through the short-circuit, and which will automatically reset itself when disconnected as described above.

Another feature of the invention relates to short-circuiting a portion of the circuit, as for example one of the above-described sections, automatically in case of an accidental break therein. A very positive yet simple means of doing this is provided in a control apparatus having a magnetic device which is'effective, as long as curin some other manner, energizing means closing the short-circuit path again, in effect disconnecting the portion of the circuit in which the break has occurred until the control'is reset, and preferably also de-energizing the magnetic device.

An important feature. of the invention relates to combining the two above-described controls,

by utilizing the magnetic device associated with' the time-delay switch as the means which in case of a break operates the movable contacts or their equivalents to produce the arcing current which energizes the safety device which short-circuits the portion of the circuit in which the break has occurred.

The control apparatus in itself embodies-substantial novelty in the structure and arrangement of its parts, and in their manner of mounting. It is preferably constructed as a compact unit readily connected into the circuit as described, with the safety device provided with manually-operable reset means operable from outside the unit,and with the automatically operating parts arranged to be readily and e12- fectively housed and protected.

The above and other objects and features of the invention, including a novelauxiliary apparatus for automatically de-energizing the primary of the constant current transformer when the abovedescribed safety device is actuated by a break in the circuit, and other novel combinations and desirable arrangements, will be apparent from the following description of the illustrative embodimcnts shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 are diagrams of circuits embodying one or both of the short-circuiting mechanisms described above;

Figure 6 is a vertical section centrally througha controller embodying one desirable form and arrangement of the control parts of the circuit of Figure 1;

Figure 7 is a horizontal section therethrough on the line 1-1 of Figure 6, showing most of the parts in top plan view;

Figure 8 is a front elevation thereof with the front part of the casingremoved, and lookingin the direction of the arrows 88 in Figure 6; Figure 9 is a partial section on the line 99 of Figure 6; and I Figure 10 is an enlarged partial section on the line ill-l0 of Figure 7.

In the diagram of Figure 1, my novel combined control devices are shown inclosed in the I remain closed) in series, and which is connected at its ends to the secondary I6 of a constant current transformer having a primary I8 arranged to be connected by means such as a switch 20 to a source of current such as a power line 22.

In this circuit, my novel combined control I0 is intended to control a short-circuit path from a' point 24 to a point 26, to sectionalize the circuit in such a manner as to start the lamps I4 in groups of few enough lamps to be within the power range of the transformer Iii-I8, and also to disconnect aportion 28 of the circuit in the event of an accidental break therein, for example at 30.

The point 24 is shown connected by a line 32 with a contact 34 which, with two other contacts described below, is engageable with an armature 36 or other circuit-closing means actuated by a solenoid or magnet 38. A second contact 40, forming one of the group of three controlled by the magnetic device 38, is connected by a lead 42 to the portion 28 of the circuit, so that when the device 38 is de-energized and the contacts 34 and 40 are connected there is a dead circuit from 24 through 34 and 40 and 42 and through the section 28 of the circuit, in which no current flows.

The third of these contacts, indicated at 44, is connected by a lead 46 to a pair of bimetallic members 48 and 49 having contacts which are' closed when they are at the same temperature. The bimetallic member 48 is active, in that it is heated by a heating resistance 50. The other bimetallic member 49 is used to compensate for changes in surrounding air temperature and is shielded from the heating effects of the heater resistance 50. The contacts of the bimetallic members 48 and 43 separate, when the active member is sufilciently heated, to open the circuit through the contact 44. The current passes from the contact of member 48 through the heating resistance 50 and through leads 52 and 54 to point 26. When current passes through the resistance 50 for a predetermined time interval, the heat is sufllcient to open the contacts of members 48 and 49 and break the circuit therethrough. This device-therefore forms a simple and effective time-delay switch which automatically resets itself when the active member cools off again.

The magnetic device 38 is connected between leads 54 and 32, when contacts 34 and 40 are closed, and between leads 54 and 42 when contacts 34 and 40 are open. It is therefore at all times in series either in the circuit I2 or 28, and is effective to lift the part 36 to break the contacts 34,14, and 40 whenever substantial current is flowing in the portions I2 or 28 of the circuit.

It is, however, in eflect short-circuit'ed out of the circuit as long as current flows from 24 through 32, 34, 44, 4G, 48, 50, 52, and 54 to 25 (i'. e. normally, as long as the contacts at 48 is first closed to start the system in operation, the section 28 is short-circuited out of operation for the time interval required to cause separation of the contacts carried by the member 48. This interval is sufiicient to start the lamps I4 in the first section of the circuit.

Upon the opening of these contacts at '48, current flows through the device 38, energizing the device 38 and breaking the contacts at 34, 44, 40. This allows current to flow through circuit section 28, unless there is some accidental break as Therefore, when the switch 2II referred to below, until the switch 20 is again opened. This switch may be manually operated,

or have a time control, or have some form of remote control, or be otherwise operated in any desired manner.

If, however, there is a break, for example at 30, the flow of current through 38 stops, and contacts 34, 44, 40 are again closed. This reestablishes the first condition, with section 28 shortcircuited out. When, after the above-described time delay, the contacts at 48 again separate, an auxiliary circuit is momentarily established from 24 through 32, 34, 40, device 38, and 54 to 25. This immediately breaks the circuit again at the contacts 34, 44, 40 by lifting the part 36.

There is a second solenoid or magnet or equivalent magnetically operated device .60 connected across from lead 32 to the part 36. Just as the device 38 is of higher resistance than the timedelay switch 48, and consequently is inefiective unlessvthat switch is open, so the device is shorted out by the lower part of lead 32 and contact 34 and is normally ineffective.

However, when the part 36 is momentarily raised as described above, in case of a break at 3Il, the current arcs across at 40, because of the voltage concentration at this point, and this areing current finds the path through the magnetic device 60 to be of less resistance than that between the separating contacts at 34, and consequently the device 60 is energized. This lifts an armature or the like 62 to bridge and close contacts 54. Once the contacts 64 are thus closed, they remain so until part 62 is reset manually.

The closing of contacts 64 short circuits'device 38 through leads 66 and 68 and through the lowerpart of leads 54 and 42. This allows the contacts 34, 40 to close and remain closed, thusshort circuiting section28 out of the circuit until thebreak at 30 is repaired and the device 80 is manually reset to open the contacts 54. With the contacts closed at 34 and 40, the current passes from 24 through 32, 34, 40, lower part of 42, 66, 64, 62, 64, 68, upper part of 54, to 28.

The circuit of Figure 2 is like that of Figure l with the safety device involving the parts 60-48 omitted. It operates as described above to start part of the lamps first and then the remainder, but does not cut off a portion of the circuit in case of a break therein. 'Its-operationwill be clear from the first part of the description of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows an arrangement utilizing the safety device alone, omitting the time-delay.

switch and its associated auxiliary circuit. It operates lILcase of a break to short-circuit all of the circuit -II2, cutting it off from the secondary I6 of the transformer. Preferably it also opens the, switch 20 automatically, in the case of such a break, to disconnect the primary I8 from the source of current 22.

In this case the current normally flows from secondary I 6 through the entire circuit 2-, in which the magnetic device I38 is connected in series. This holds the part I36 in its upper position, disconnecting the contacts "land from each other. In case of a. break, the contacts I34 and I40 are connected by the de-energization ofthe'device I38. This closes a circuit from secondary I6 through lead I32, contacts I34 and I40, device I38, lead I54, and back to secondary I6. The device I33 is thereby momen- 'tarily energized, lifting the part I 36 and causing a current to are across from contact I48.

This arcing current passes through the second magnetic device I60, closing the contacts I84, and establishing a momentary circuit from I8 by way of lead I32 through device I60 and part I36, through contact I40 and lead I66 by way of contacts I64 and lead I68 back to the secondary. This short-circuits the circuit containing the lamps or other devices I4, and also short-circuits the magnetic device I38. Thereafter, until the part I62 is reset manually, the path is I6, I32, I34, I36, I40, I66, I64 I62, I64, I66, I54, I6.

Preferably the switch 20 is automatically opened at the same time. In the arrangement shown, device I60 also operates an armature I0 to break the connection between two contacts I2 in a control circuit I4 in which is arranged a solenoid or magnet or other magnetic device 16 arranged to operate the switch 20. This circuit may also include a manually or automatically operated switch I8 which (when contacts 72 are connected, as is normally the case) can be used to stop and start the system.

The arrangement in Figure 4 is the same as in Figure 3, except that the control circuit I'I4 has normally open contacts I42, and is auxiliar-y to a main control circuit 8.0 which is short circuited by'switch I8, which is opened to cause the device I6 to actuate switch 20.

In this case the auxiliary circuit I14 is in'par- -allel with the device I6, and short-circuits it when the contacts I12 are closed. This arrangement is useful when the control circuit is a series circuit similar to H2.

The circuit shown in Figure'5, includes a main lamp circuit 2I2, or an equivalent circuit of some other character, having associated therewith an auxiliary or loop circuit 228 which is normally to be energized but which it is desired to disconnect automatically in case ,of a break, as at 230.

Normally with switch 20 closed, current path may be traced from I6 through the right-hand part of 2 I2, through magnetic device 238, through loop 228, and through the left-hand part of H2, back to I6. In this condition the contacts at 234 and 240 are broken by the device ,238, which is at that time energized.

In case of a break at 230, the device 238 is deenergized, closing the contacts at 234 and 240 and momentarily causing the current to flow from I 6, through the right-hand part of the circult 2I2, through device 238, across contacts 240 and 234, and through the left-hand part of circuit 2I2, back to I6." This immediately lifts the part 236, breaking the contacts at 234 and 240.

As the second magnetic device 260 is connected in parallel with the contact 234, there is an arc at the separating contact 240, where all the pressure is efiective, and this arcing current passes from I6, H2, 238, 240, 236, 260, 2I2, back to I6.

This Hits the part 262 to close the contacts 264,'leaving them closed until part 262 is manually reset, thereby deenergizing the device 238 again. The current path is now I6, 2I2, 268, 264, 262, 264, 240, 236, 234, 2I2, back to I6.

Figures 6 to 10 illustrate a novel compact and effective controller for use in the circuit of Figure 1, and including the parts of the circuit within the dotted line I0 in Figure 1. These parts are all shown carried by a suitable panel 300 of insulating material, having a pair of supporting brackets 302 and 304 of similar material. This panel is secured to the back of a housing made in two parts 306 and 308 secured together by means such as bolts 3I0 which may be inclosed in tubes 3I2 of insulating material.

In this embodiment, the device 38 includes two coils secured vertically between the brackets 302 and 304 adjacent opposite sides of the panel 300. As best appears in Figure, 9, the armature 36, with its contacts for engaging contacts 34, 44, and 40, is secured to a block 3I4 of insulating material, which in turn is carried by a U-shaped movable core 3I6 cooperating, in the manner usual in alternating current relays, with a fixed *U-shaped core 3I8 in the upper part of the calls 38. Both cores are shown as of laminated construction. When'current passes through the coils 38, it tends to reduce the gap between cores 3I6 and 3I8, thereby drawing the core 3I6 upwardly. The device 60 is shown as including a single coil secured between the brackets 302 and 304 in front of .the device 38, and provided with a composite plunger comprisingian insulating part 320 serving as a handle for resetting the device, and which is rigidly connected by a rod 322 of brass or other non-magnetic material with a movable iron core 324, which in turn carries an insulating part 326 on the upper end of which the contact 62, in the form of a copper sleeve or ring, is mounted, and which is formed with a locking groove 328 just below the contact 62.

The contacts 64 are shown as spring fingers which normally interlock with the groove 328, holding the whole core or plunger assembly in its upper position. The rod 322 passes slidably through a fixed core 330, shown as secured in a tube 332 of insulating materialwhich serves as a guide for the movable, core 324, and on which the coil 60 is wound. The coil 60 may have a suitable cover, as shown, if desired.

On passage of current in the coil 60, as previously'described, the core 324 is drawn downward, and the contact 62 bridges and closes the contacts 64 until the device is reset manually by pushing upward on the part 320. F

The bracket 302 hasmounted thereon, just in front of the device 60, a block 336 of insulating material, on which are secured two short blocks 338 of brass or the like, between which is gripped one end of the compensating bimetallic strip 48. A screw 340 threaded into the lower block 338 serves to connect the lead 46 to the strip 49, and also serves, with an auxiliary screw 342, to clamp the'blocks 338 together with strip 49 between them.

Immediately above the upper block 338 is a piece 344 of asbestos board, or other heat insulator protecting the strip 49 from the heat of the resistance wire 50 which is just above the board 344. The resistance 50 is connected at oneend directly" to the lead 52 (which comes up from a connection below the bracket 304 through a protecting tube 346) and at its other end is soldered or otherwise secured to a brass block 348 held by but insulated from the screws 340 and 342.

' The strip 48 is shown 'as provided at its free end with an adjustable setscrew 350 passing through a hole in the board 344, and serving as a contact adjustably engaging the strip 48. Thus the whole circuit between 62 and 46 includes resistance 50, block348, strip 48, setscrew 360, strip 49, blocks 338, screw 340, to lead 48,.

It will be seen that the controller is easily 1. A lighting system comprising a source of substantially constant current, a set of vapor lamps connected in series in a circuit forming a loop connected at its ends to said source, means for short-circuiting a portion of said loop to permit the starting of the remainder of the lamps independently of the short-circuited portion, means for automatically breaking the short-circuit formed by the first means after a time interval, and means for automatically reestablishing said short circuit if a break occurs in said portion of the loop.

2. A lighting system comprising a set of vapor lamps connected in series in a circuit forming a loop, means for short-circuiting a portion of said loop to permit the starting of the remainder of the lamps, means for automatically breaking the short-circuit formed by the first means after a time interval, and means for automatically reestablishing said short circuit if a break occurs in said portion of the loop.

3. A lighting system comprising a set of vapor lamps connected in series in a circuit, means for short-circuiting a portion of said circuit and including contacts which can be opened to break the short-circuit, means for automatically opening said contacts after a predetermined time delay, and auxiliary means actuated by the opening of said contacts for holding the short-circuit broken thereafter as long as current passes through said circuit.

4. A lighting system comprising a set of vapor lamps connected in series in a circuit, means for short-circuiting a portion of said circuit and including contacts which can be opened to break the short-circuit, bi-metallic heat operated elements carrying said contacts, a heating device adjacent said elements and operated by said means when the contacts are closed and automatically opening said contacts after a predetermined time interval, and auxiliary means actuated by the opening of said contacts for disconnecting said device from said means and for holding the short-circuit broken thereafter as long as current passes through said circuit.

5. A device for short-circuiting part of the, circuit of a vapor lamp lighting system or the like and then breaking the short-circuit after a time interval comprising three contacts two 01' which are adapted to be connected in said circuit at the points to be short-circuited, a magnetically-operated device for connecting and disconnecting said contacts and which is connected in said circuit adjacent said two contacts, and a. time-delay switch connected to the third contact and to the circuit in such a manner as to be in parallel with said device. I

6. A device for short-circuiting part of the circult of a vapor lamp lighting system or the like and then breaking the short-circuit after a time connected in said circuit at the points to be shortcircuited, a magnetically-operated device for connecting and disconnecting said contacts and whichis connected in said circuit adjacent said two contacts, a time-delay switch connected to the third contact and to the circuit in such a manner as to be in parallel with said device, and a safetydevicealso in parallel with the magnetically-operated device and operated in case of a break in said part of the circuit by current passing in an are at one of said contacts and automaticaily short-circuiting the circuit across said part thereof.

7. An electric circuit for operating devices such as lamps or the like comprising a source 0! substantially constant current, a set of said devices connected in series in a circuit connected at its ends to said source, and means for short-circuiting a portion of said circuit in case 01 a break therein and which includes a magnetic device connected into the circuit and having contacts held open by the passage 01' current therethrough, an auxiliary circuit through said device which is closed by the closingof said contacts in case of a break, and a second magnetic device having contacts closed by current passed therethrough due to arcing at the first contacts as they reopen when the auxiliary circuit is closed, the closing of the second contacts de-energizing the first magnetic device and short-circuiting said portion of the circuit.

8. An electric apparatus for automatically short-circuiting a portion of a circuit in case 0! a break therein and which includes a magnetic device connected into the circuit and having contacts held open by the passage of current therethrough, an auxiliary circuit through said device which is closed by the closing of said contacts in case of a break, and a second magnetic device having contacts closed by current passed therethrough due to arcing at the first contacts as they reopen when the auxiliary circuit is closed, the closing of the second contacts de-energizing the first magnetic device and short-circuiting said portion of the circuit. I

9. Anelectric circuit for operating devices such as lamps or the like comprising a source of current, a substantially constant current transformer, a switch for connecting the primary oi the transformer to saidsource, a set of said devices connected in series in a circuit connected at its ends to the secondary of the transformer, means for short-circuiting a portion oi said circuit in case of a break therein and which includes a magnetic device connected into the circuit and having contacts held open by the passage of current there-through, an auxiliary circuit through said device which is closed by-the closing of said contacts in case of a break, a second magnetic device having contacts closed by current passed there-through due to arcing at the first contacts as they reopen when the auxiliary circuit is closed, the closing of the second contacts deenergizing the first magnetic device and shortcircuiting said portion of the circuit, and means rendered operative by the actuation of the second magnetic device for opening saidswitch to disconnect the transformer primary from, said source.

10. An electric circuit for operating devices such as lamps or the like comprising a source of current, a substantially constant current transformer, a switch for connecting the primary of the transformer to said source, a set of said devices connected in series in a circuit connected at its ends to the secondary of the transformer, means for automatically short-circuiting a portion of said circuit in case of a break therein, a magnetic device having contacts actuated by current passed there-through due to the operation of said short-circuiting means, and means rendered operative by the actuation of said magnetic device for opening said switch to disconnect the transformer primary from said source.

11. An electric circuit comprising means rencircuit for short-circuiting said portion of the circuit, said means including a device having contacts automatically engaged and then separated to produce a current arcing there-between when the break occurs, and an auxiliary circuit energized by said current arcing across the separated contacts and automatically closing a short-circuit across said portion of the circuit.

12. An electric circuit comprising means rendered operative by a break in a portion of the circuit for short-circuiting said portion of the circuit, said means including a device having contacts automatically engaged and then separated to produce a current arcing there-between when the break occurs, a normally-open auxiliary circult in parallel with said portion of the first circuit, and means energized by said current so arcing between the separating contacts and which is efiective to close said auxiliary circuit.

13. A lighting system comprising a set of vapor lamps or the like, connected in series, a source of substantially constant current, means for connecting a portion of said circuit in series with said source, and means for automatically connecting another portion of the circuit in series between said source and said first portion after a predetermined time delay.

14. A lighting system comprising a source of substantially constant current, a set of vapor lamps connected in. series in a circuit forming acloop connected at its ends to said source, means for excluding a portion of said loop to permit starting of the remainder of the lamps independently of the excluded portion, means for automatically including the excluded portion after a time interval, and means for automatically reestablishing said exclusion if a break occurs in said portion of the loop.

15. Alighting system comprising a set of vapor lamps connected in series in a circuit forming a loop, means for excluding a portion of said loop to permit the starting ofethe remainder of the lamps, means for automatically including the excluded portion after a time interval, and means for automatically re-establishing said exclusion if a break occurs in said portion of the loop.

16. An electric circuit for operating devices such as lamps or the like comprising'a source of current, a substantially constant current transformer, a switch for connecting the primary of the transformer to said source, a set of said devices connected in series in a circuit connected at its ends to the secondary of the transformer, means for excluding a portion of said circuit in case of a break therein and which includes a magnetic device connected into the circuit and having contacts held open by the passage of current therethrough, an auxiliary circuit through said device which is closed by the closing of said contacts in case of a break, a second magnetic device having contacts closed by current passed therethrough due to arcing at the first contacts as they reopen when the, auxiliary circuit isv closed, the closing of the second contacts deenergizing the first magnetic device and excluding said portion of the circuit, and means rendered operative by the actuation of the second magnetic device for opening said switch to disconnect the transformer primary from 'said source. I

17. An electric circuit comprising means rendered operative by a break in a portion of the circuit for excluding said portion of the circuit, said means including a device having contacts automatically engaged and then separated to produce a. current arcing there-between when the break occurs, a normally-open auxiliary circuit in parallel with said portion of. the first circuit,

and means energized by said current so arcing between the separating contacts and which is effective to close said auxiliary circuit.

LESTER W. GUINZ 

